Color sonagrams and methods for their production

ABSTRACT

Seismographic signals are separated by filters into their low-, medium-, and high-frequency component signals and the envelope of each is generated and displayed in a different color, e.g., red, green, and blue, respectively. The displays are superimposed, and combined with the seismic trace so as to show both frequency content and time varying amplitude simultaneously.

United States .Patent Balch Dec- 25. i973 IUI .-fufnry--Juscph C. Mening. Richmd C. Willwn. Jr. uml Incl: I.. Hummcl Scismugraphc sgmds are .separated h)- fllczs imu lhcir Imm, lllcduul. and llghqucncy campement signal# and thc envelope I'cuch is gcncrzuud :md displayed in l dtctchl cular. mg.. red, gwen. :und blue. ruspuctwuly. The displays an: supcrmpcwd. :md cnn bium! im le Mmin ll's'c su :IS IU slum huil fre qucncy coulent and time varying :uuplitmk siumlmv ncuudy.

I7 unimi, B Drgnng Figure;

PATENIED asn 2 5 mis SHEE 20F G Fig. 4u

MNHN? LFREU H BALCH MTEN TEU DUI 25 ISH SHEET il F G Fig. 4c

r.. E n... E JM w www@ r am; Mm," w??? INVENIU? IYJRED H. BLCH 5 als robe combined ia die tinislteddsphgatllciaveation muy malte use of sterco techniques, cg, Spoed polarized projectors used in conjunction v-itlt polariaed t ies-ing glasses to depict additional variables. eg.. lovogrphical elevation or a 3-dirncnsional. color sterograplric projection in which a seismic section is displayed in the form ol' a colored 3 dimensional surface in which l dimension represents distance along tltc ground. tlre second represents time. and tltc tltird tepresents signal amplitude at a given point in space and time. The color of the surface portrays. in the preferred emo'odiment, the frequency components. averaged over n small. adjacent time window at the given point in space and time. Other outputs may be tttilimed. e4.. a three-gun cathode ray tube with each gun connected to a different frequency component; a multiple exposure technique for color lllru. a multplc'projcclor sients from full-wave form acoustic logs and various other nea-er geophysical survey. recording, processing and display techniques including later scanning of transpxerrics of the component signals. lo especially preferred modifications other suitable conventional Iil tering can bc substituted to cause ll're color t0 protetti continuously varying parameters other than frequency, c g.. color can represent velocity through theearl-h (av- :raged along some parli) or some function thereof, such as velocity gradient. This same result can bcalternatisel) accomplished with the unmodified apparatus olFlG. l by contesting the selected parameter into freqoczcy the. proceedings: in the description oFlG. l.

what is claimed is: l. in a process for thc display of earth-controlled events. the improvement comprising-in combination:

a. creating a substantially continuos!! ot dlscrctcly snarled electrical signal indicative of uid events ovcrvxn interval o( time, b paran..." littering said electrical signal through at teau one filter to separate said signal into a pluralr1| or Guen-.d sign als, each representing the cornp nent otsaid signal in a particular band o( e contlnus oosly varying parameter, cnmerting each ot uid filtered signals loro a series ol titihle lines having excursions. tbe frequency ol und etcursiunt being proportional tothe arlpllwdi nl raid filtered dernodulatcd signal, and repretents inna'run:

a. ctuting a nhrtaltiany continuous or diseretey camped electrical sipai indicative of said events over an interval of time.

ls. par-alle! ftlter'mg said electr-leal signal through .tt

least one lilter to separate said signal into a pluralol't'tltered signals. each representing the component ci said signal in aparticulat bond ol a continu curly-varying parameter.

c. demodtrlatittg each ol'sald liltered signals tn form a corresponding dentodttlated envelope slgnal. reprerentng the intensity of the signal in a paricular band of said parameter, averaged over a small. moving time window,

d. producing a differently colored visible display of each of sald demodtllated envelope signals wherein the amount of color in a portion of said visible dis play is proportional to the amplitude ot the corresponding portion ol' said dernodttlated signal,

e. combining tbe colored displays corresponding to eaelt of said littered, demodulated envelope signals to form a s'ngle display indicative ot the amplitude of eaclr ol'said parameter components of said signal indicative ol' said earth-controlled event.

3. A process according to claim l additionally cornprising:

l'. producing a visible display representative of said electrical signal indicative ol' said events,

g. combining said display representative of said electricalsignallndieativc ol' said events with said sin` gle display indicative oltlte time variation in amplirude of each ol' said parameter components.

4. A process according to elaixu 2 additionally eornprising:

h. producing a visible display representative or said electrical signal indicative of said events,

i. combining said display representative of said electrical signal Indicative of said events with said single display indicativo of the time varying amplitude ol' each of aald parameter components.

5. A process according to claim J additionally comtuition b'. dcmodulatlng each of said filtered signets to form a corresponding demodttlated signal.

6. The proce ol'claitn l wherein ettelt ol said risible lines is displayed as a colored transparent line and benin said tingle drtplay is produced by superimposlng two or more sets ol'oolored line displays in registry.

7. The process ol'elalrn I wherein each ol sain visible 0 lines it displayed as a colored transparent line and wherein said single display is produced by suprirnpo lng two or more sets ol colored lines. i.e.. inditidual colored line displays. in registry.

I. The process ofclaint J wherein each ol' said visible lines it displayed as a colored transparent line and nlrerein said tlnglc ditplay is produced by aligning oid colored transparent lines.

ll. Tllr procese olclaim 4 wherein each ol said vitible lines is displayed as a colored transparent line and 6 wherein raid tingle display is produced b)- alisning .turd

colored transparent lines.

l0. The process ol claim 5 wherein each nl nid mthle liner it displayed as a colored transparent line .tml wherein uid tingle display it produced by aligning tant colored transparent linery ll. A colored display produced :according n elsnn l.

l1. A colored display produced accnrdn.; t cui.

UNTED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORREC'NN amy 8, i974 basi AVAILABLE COPY Patent No. l 3,781 785 Dated Invencoru) Alfred H. Balch It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and .that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Claim l line 545 Delete "filtered demodulated signal" and insert therefor --filtered signal.

Claim 6, line 48: After "registr y insert and wherein a corresponding set of original signal lines is similarly produced without filtering from said electrical signal indicative of said earth controlled events and is superimposed with said colored li ne displays."

Claim 7, line 53: After "registry" insert and wherein a corresponding set of original signal lines is similarly produced without filtering from said electrical signal indicative of said earth controlled events and is superimposed with said colored line displays".

claim i8 (per 312 amend) Add the fonowing claim is:

--The process of Claim l in which said continuously varying parameter is frequency or some mathematical function Signed and sealed this 5th day of November 1974.

(SEAL) Attest x McCOY M. GIBSON JR. C. MARSHALL DANN Attestng Officer p Commissioner of Patents M O-1050 10-69 R P l UscoMM-Dc eo31o-pno l 11.5. BCVIIMIINI PllNllG OFFICE: lll D-lII-JJI. 

1. In a process for the display of earth-controlled events, the improvement comprising in combination: a. creating a substantially continuous or discretely sampled electrical signal indicative of said events over an interval of time, b. parallel filtering said electrical signal through at least one filter to separate said signal into a plurality of filtered signals, each representing the component of said signal in a particular band of a continuously varying parameter, c. converting each of said filtered signals into a series of visible lines having excursions, the frequency of said excursions being proportional to the amplitude of said filtered demodulated signal, and representing the intensity of the signal in a particular band of said parameter, averaged over a small, moving time window, d. producing a differently colored replica of each of said set of visible line excursions, e. combining the color replicas corresponding to each signal of said plurality of filtered signals to form a single display indicative of the parameter component distribution of said signal indicative of said earth-controlled events.
 2. In a process for the display of earth-controlled transient events, the improvement comprising in combination: a. creating a substantially continuous or discretely sampled electrical signal indicative of said events over an interval of time, b. parallel filtering said electrical signal through at least one filter to separate said signal into a plurality of filtered signals, each representing the component of said signal in a particular band of a continuously-varying parameter, c. demodulating each of said filtered signals to form a corresponding demodulated envelope signal, representing the intensity of the signal in a particular band of said parameter, averaged over a small, moving time window, d. producing a differently colored visible display of each of said demodulated envelope signals wherein the amount of color in a portion of said visible display is proportional to the amplitude of the corresponding portion of said demodulated signal, e. combining the colored displays corresponding to each of said filtered, demodulated envelope signals to form a single display indicative of the amplitude of each of said parameter components of said signal indicative of said earth-controlled event.
 3. A process according to claim 1 additionally comprising: f. producing a visible display representative of said electrical signal indicative of said events, g. combining said display representative of said electrical signal indicative of said events with said single display indicative of the time variation in amplitude of each of said parameter components.
 4. A process according to claim 2 additionally comprising: h. producing a visible display representative of said electrical signal indicative of said events, i. combining said display representative of said electrical signal indicative of said events with said single display indicative of the time varying amplitude of each of said parameter components.
 5. A process according to claim 3 additionally comprising: b''. demodulating each of said filtered signals to form a corresponding demodulated signal.
 6. The process of claim 1 wherein each of said visible lines is displayed as a colored transparent line and wherein sAid single display is produced by superimposing two or more sets of colored line displays in registry.
 7. The process of claim 2 wherein each of said visible lines is displayed as a colored transparent line and wherein said single display is produced by superimposing two or more sets of colored lines, i.e., individual colored line displays, in registry.
 8. The process of claim 3 wherein each of said visible lines is displayed as a colored transparent line and wherein said single display is produced by aligning said colored transparent lines.
 9. The process of claim 4 wherein each of said visible lines is displayed as a colored transparent line and wherein said single display is produced by aligning said colored transparent lines.
 10. The process of claim 5 wherein each of said visible lines is displayed as a colored transparent line and wherein said single display is produced by aligning said colored transparent lines.
 11. A colored display produced according to claim
 1. 12. A colored display produced according to claim
 2. 13. A colored display produced according to claim
 10. 14. The process of claim 1 in which said continuously varying parameter is frequency.
 15. The process of claim 2 in which said continuously varying parameter is frequency.
 16. The process of claim 1 in which said continuously varying parameter is velocity through the earth or some mathematical function dependent thereon.
 17. The process of claim 2 in which said continuously varying parameter is velocity through the earth or some mathematical function dependent thereon. 